While Jack Krekoska, left, looks on, Rich MacLeod sends ballots through a scanner. A recount on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013, in Stratford determined that Republican Brian Dempsey won the District 5 Town Council seat over Democrat Greg Cann.
Photo: John Burgeson

STRATFORD -- About the only drama seen in last week's municipal election was in Town Council District 5, where Greg Cann lost to Brian Dempsey by just six votes, 361 to 355.

As it turned out, the race was even tighter than that.

A three-hour-long recount Wednesday in the Council Chambers at Town Hall gave Dempsey a four-vote victory, according to registrars Rick Marcone and Lou DeCilio. The final tally listed Dempsey over Cann, 361 to 357.

"There were, in all, 16 ballots that couldn't be read by the machine because they weren't `bubbled-in' properly," said DeCilio, the Republican registrar. "So, what we do is that we look for intent -- who the voter wanted to vote for."

To do that, a team of two Democrats, Pat Rood and Richard MacLeod, and two Republicans, Jack and Anna Krekoska, had to look at every ballot. The ones that could be scored by machine were run through the scanner a second time, and the 16 remaining ones were looked at by the panel to determine the voters' intent. None of the ballots were deemed ambiguous on that score.

Dempsey said he ran for the seat to hold it for his older brother, John, who couldn't run because of term-limit requirements. John Dempsey, 61, has served three consecutive two-year terms on the council and said he plans to run again in 2015.

"I'll keep the seat warm for him," said Brian Dempsey, 55, referring to his brother. The younger Dempsey was shot in the face during a robbery two decades ago, something that the Cann camp "used to their advantage."

The incident left Dempsey with a slight speech impediment, but aside from that, he's had a full recovery, he said.

The Cann camp was still sore about the campaign, too. About a week before the election, Republicans sent out fliers in District 5 saying that the Cann family was "suing the town."

This had to do with a sexual harassment case that's still before the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. The case involves allegations that Cann's daughter, Cathy, was abused by a Stratford High School teacher three years ago.

Cann couldn't attend Wednesday's recount because of a doctor's appointment. He spent two weeks in the hospital during the campaign with a heart ailment, and there were fears at the time that he would have to drop out of the race. Another week was spent convalescing.

"He spent three weeks of his campaign out with a heart attack, so without that (absence), he may have won," said Terry Masters, speaking for Cann as his campaign manager. "And we survived that smear campaign, too."

Paul lost to incumbent John Harkins 5,712 to 4,374, in the mayoral race. The Dempsey win means that Harkins will enjoy another two years with a 8-2 Republican majority on the council.

On Thursday, Marcone and DeCilio will be at it again with another recount, this one to determine the seventh and final constable position. Results from Nov. 5 showed Robert Brown Jr. with 4,145 votes and Edward Monroe with 4,125. Both are Democrats.

That recount will be a more laborious project, officials said, because it involves the entire town, not just one district. Twenty workers will be helping out with that effort, which officials expect will take most of the day.